Monday, September 06, 2004

Monday at Worldcon

The last day of Worldcon. As usual, it's a shorter day as people head home.

I popped in on the Burnout session, and then realized it was about burnout for the con organizers, rather than for writers, which is what I had automatically expected. But, burnout is burnout and I listened in for about fifteen minutes before moving over the catch the last of the About Writer Scams. That was full of the usual cautions and for the second time this con I heard the factoid that it is more than twice as easy for a random teenage male to get a job in professional sports as it is for the same guy to sell a novel. I wonder if that is true. The session detailed a number of ways that people prey on the hopes and dreams of people who want to sell their writing. In general, the only way is to write a better book.

Why I Write YA: This is the panel I had to record. Beth Hilgartner, Rebecca Moesta, Tamora Pierce, E. Rose Sabin and Hilari Bell talked about what they write and why. Afterward, I tried to pick a few brains on the process of making a sale to that market and how to get an appropriate agent.

Transcendental Adventures: The panelists, mainly Tor Editors, had an interesting time trying to figure out what the title meant, but they got into some serious speculation about the future and the past and why we all are the way we are. I recorded it tool. Why not? The con was coming to a close and I still had battery life.

Flash: I had time for one last panel and I love my old comic books. It was nice to hear what was going on currently and to listen to the background of the Crisis.

I took one last pass through the Dealer Room and saw, sadly, Forrest J Ackerman being wheeled around in a wheelchair. He bought my first story, so many years ago.